Hybrid Texas Book Festival 2021: An Inside Look
Join TBF Staff for a behind-the-scenes preview of this year's event, the 26th annual and first ever hybrid festival!

The Texas Book Festival will take place October 23 through October 31, 2021, as a hybrid event. Kicking off the Festival, the weekend of October 23-24, 2021, will feature virtual children's and young adult sessions. Starting October 25, 2021, virtual sessions will lead up to the in-person Festival Weekend with Saturday at Symphony Square and Sunday at the Austin Central Library. Join us for this #TXBookChat with the Texas Book Festival’s Deputy Director, Claire Burrows and Matt Patin, Literary Director, for the inside scoop.

Claire Burrows, Deputy Director. Claire joined the Texas Book Festival in 2014. Claire has a PhD in Comparative Literature from Stony Brook University, a master’s degree in Aesthetic Studies from UT Dallas, and a bachelor’s degree in Literary Studies from UT Dallas. Before joining the Festival, Claire was an adjunct professor at Stony Brook University teaching film, literature, and cultural studies. Her literary interests include comics and graphic novels, literary fiction, and memoirs. 

Matt Patin, Literary Director. Matt joined the staff in 2020, after having previously served as a TBF volunteer committee co-chair, session moderator, and Lit Crawl advisor. He has nearly fifteen years of experience in books, editing, and publishing and since 2009 has edited, collaborated with, or advised nearly 200 authors, including award winners and bestsellers. Matt has contributed to Kirkus Reviews and the Austin Chronicle and has since 2015 served on the board of directors at Austin Bat Cave—a literary and education nonprofit and TBF community-partner organization. He is a graduate of the Moody College of Communication at the University of Texas Austin.

The #TXBookChat series offers brief discussions and programs with authors, librarians, and literary professionals. These informal “coffee chats” last about 30 minutes and offer a quick look into different aspects of the state’s literary world. The #TXBookChat series seeks to bring together diverse voices and perspectives.

For a full schedule of the #TXBookChat series, please visit: www.tsl.texas.gov/txbookchat

Past #TXBookChat Discussions